With only a few business days remaining in this year's Colorado legislative session, extra time is hard to come by. Representative Liane McFadyen from Pueblo is brief and to-the-point.
"Mr. Chairman, we don't have enough votes to pass this bill. I move that we layover the bill until, uh, July 9."
And with that recommendation from the bill's sponsor, the Colorado House Finance Committee today unanimously approves the layover of House Bill 1279 until July 9. The legislature will, of course, be long gone on July 9.
Which means that HB 1279 is dead, and with time to spare. In a rare example of legislative efficiency, the entire committee hearing about HB 1279 lasts no more than three minutes.
The proposed bill would have granted grocery stores with pharmacies the right (via a complicated buyout transaction with two adjacent liquor store owners) to sell full-strength beer, wine and spirits in their stores. Grocers, naturally, loved the idea. Alcohol is popular with customers, and very profitable among the 45,000 items typically sold in grocery stores.
Opposed to the bill were liquor store owners, craft brewers, distillers, wine producers and distributors who saw the special interests of one business being championed by government at their expense. While HB 1279 would have been a boon for grocers, in the process it would have shuttered about 600 liquor stores around the state.
Kevin DeLange, of Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, had shown up expecting to testify against the bill. Craft brewers in Colorado enjoy a unique regulatory environment that fosters their small businesses. Brewers fear the loss of the one-on-one relationships with liquor store owners that has allowed them to thrive, and the difficulty, if not impossibility, of getting their products on grocery store shelves and thereby limiting access to market.
Although he didn’t testify today, “We’ll be back talking about this soon,” Kevin said. Everyone seemed to agree.
Larry Hudson, of Safeway Stores, was irritated if resigned. “The legislature has said ‘no’ the last four years. Maybe now we let the people decide.” He referred to ballot initiatives that have been proposed for the November elections that would put the matter into the hands of voters instead of the legislature.
That doesn’t make Buffie McFadyen happy. “The legislative process makes it easier to revise, rework and amend issues to make them better.” She agreed that Colorado liquor code is complex, and not something that fits well into a ballot initiative.
“Things that get poorly written often get on the ballot,” she said, as she dashed off to another committee meeting, trying to make the most of the next few days. They will be her last ones as a Colorado legislator, as she says she's not going to run again.
“I’m done,” said McFadyen.
The push to sell liquor in Colorado grocery and convenience stores, however, lives on.
You can find additional coverage and commentary from the Denver Post here.
"Mr. Chairman, we don't have enough votes to pass this bill. I move that we layover the bill until, uh, July 9."
And with that recommendation from the bill's sponsor, the Colorado House Finance Committee today unanimously approves the layover of House Bill 1279 until July 9. The legislature will, of course, be long gone on July 9.
Which means that HB 1279 is dead, and with time to spare. In a rare example of legislative efficiency, the entire committee hearing about HB 1279 lasts no more than three minutes.
The proposed bill would have granted grocery stores with pharmacies the right (via a complicated buyout transaction with two adjacent liquor store owners) to sell full-strength beer, wine and spirits in their stores. Grocers, naturally, loved the idea. Alcohol is popular with customers, and very profitable among the 45,000 items typically sold in grocery stores.
Opposed to the bill were liquor store owners, craft brewers, distillers, wine producers and distributors who saw the special interests of one business being championed by government at their expense. While HB 1279 would have been a boon for grocers, in the process it would have shuttered about 600 liquor stores around the state.
Kevin DeLange, of Dry Dock Brewing in Aurora, had shown up expecting to testify against the bill. Craft brewers in Colorado enjoy a unique regulatory environment that fosters their small businesses. Brewers fear the loss of the one-on-one relationships with liquor store owners that has allowed them to thrive, and the difficulty, if not impossibility, of getting their products on grocery store shelves and thereby limiting access to market.
Although he didn’t testify today, “We’ll be back talking about this soon,” Kevin said. Everyone seemed to agree.
Larry Hudson, of Safeway Stores, was irritated if resigned. “The legislature has said ‘no’ the last four years. Maybe now we let the people decide.” He referred to ballot initiatives that have been proposed for the November elections that would put the matter into the hands of voters instead of the legislature.
That doesn’t make Buffie McFadyen happy. “The legislative process makes it easier to revise, rework and amend issues to make them better.” She agreed that Colorado liquor code is complex, and not something that fits well into a ballot initiative.
“Things that get poorly written often get on the ballot,” she said, as she dashed off to another committee meeting, trying to make the most of the next few days. They will be her last ones as a Colorado legislator, as she says she's not going to run again.
“I’m done,” said McFadyen.
The push to sell liquor in Colorado grocery and convenience stores, however, lives on.
You can find additional coverage and commentary from the Denver Post here.
Mike Laur - DG2C
Buffie McFadyen pontificates upon the need for grocery stores to to sell higher-alcohol beer.
